7 Characteristics Of An Unmistakable Commitment

Does my commitment tend to change depending upon good times and bad times?

How firm is my commitment to the Word and God’s promises?

We can all praise God that He is definitely committed to us for the long haul.

1 Chronicles 16:15 in the New Living Translation says:

“Remember his covenant forever— the commitment he made to a thousand generations.”

When we commit to Him. . .He commits to us and supernatural manifestation takes place.

John 6:29 in the Message Bible says:

“Jesus said, “Throw your lot in with the One that God has sent. That kind of a commitment gets you in on God’s works.”

The word commitment is not in either the King James or the Amplified Bibles. However, commitment is in several other translations including Philippians 3:15-16 in the Message Bible:

Philippians 3:15-16 in the Message Bible says:

“So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment,God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it.”

Have you even heard the story of the hen and the pig?

As the story goes, a pig and a hen were walking together when they come upon a whole group of hungry people. As they gazed upon the terrible situation and wondered what to do to help, the hen turns to the pig and says, “Let’s feed them all breakfast. After all… we can give them bacon and eggs.”

The pig turned to the hen and replied, “That’s involvement on your part, but to me, it’s a total commitment.”

That is what Jesus meant in His statement. God wants all of you, or nothing, that’s total commitment.

I looked up the word commitment in the Random House Dictionary and it is defined as:

“the act of committing, pledging, or engaging oneself; a pledge or promise; obligation.”

It’s hard enough for the Lord to find people who will live for Him…say nothing of dying for Him.

Let me also make one more distinction on what it means to live for Christ because too many Christians expend a lot of energy trying to do things in the Name of the Lord.

But what does the Lord require of us? The Bible actually says… we are not to live for the Lord…but let the Lord live through us. Galatians 2:20 says:

“IamcrucifiedwithChrist: neverthelessIlive; yet notI, butChristliveth in me: and the life whichInow live in the fleshIlive by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Here are His seven characteristics of an unmistakable commitment.

1. Determine to Walk in the Holy Spirit.

Your success in life. . .will be determined by who you pay attention to.

That is such a simple thought … but it has very wide ramifications if you stop to think about it.

If you don’t have accurate information you can get off course … that is true in everything you do from the simplest to the most complex.

If you think you are dumb… you will act as though you are…

The following quote says a lot:

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

We have to pay attention to whom we pay attention to!

There is only One who gives us absolutely accurate information and direction every time.

Galatians 5:16 in the New Kings James Translation says:

“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

If we commit ourselves to stay a tuned to the Holy Spirit… the fact is … out doubts will become less and our faith will become stronger.

We will be so focused on Him … that the flesh will not even tempt us.

We won’t eliminate hard times but we will know Who to go to in order to get through the hard times.

2. Be decisive.

Romans 12:1 in the Amplified Bible says:

“I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.

In Revelation, the Word says that if we remain lukewarm, He’s going to throw you out of his mouth (Revelation 3:16).

So here’s the question, in your workplace environment, have you made a decisive dedication to excellence? Are you totally committed to quality in everything your hands find to do? Have you decided to never settle for less than the best?

3. Constantly tell yourself. . . “I can.”

Philippians 4:13 says:

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. . .”

Please note that the verse says that you can do ALL things . . .not a few . . . but ALL THINGS through Christ which strengthens you.

Philippians 4:13 in the Classic Amplified says:

“I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Whoinfuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].”

Remember… it isn’t your strength… it is Christ’s strength. The enemy likes to instill fear in us … “I just can’t do this!” Well… that’s all right … because you can’t! BUT CHRIST can. That is what we have to remember.

More things are left undone because the devil hypnotized someone into thinking ‘they’ were being asked to do it when the Lord wanted to use them for His glory.

We need to learn to fight fear like the plague it is.

Look at the Message Bible translation of Philippians 4:13 which says:

“Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.”

Stop thinking about what you can’t do and begin praising God for what you can do with Him working through you. It isn’t easy and it’s not overnight … but if we can get our minds off of ourselves and on what God wants to do…we will lose the fear and just step into our destiny … in faith.

4. Clearly defined vision.

One man’s vision. . .is another man’s folly. If God didn’t give you the vision. . .it’s not yours.

People see things differently.

Here’s a little sideline…

Charlie Brown and Lucy and Linus are lying on the ground, looking up into the sky.

Lucy says, "If you use your imagination, you can see lots of things in the cloud formations. What do you think you see, Linus?"

Linus responds, "Well, those clouds up there look like the map of the British Honduras on the Caribbean. And that cloud looks a little like the profile of Thomas Eakins, the famous painter and sculptor. And that group of clouds over there gives me the impression of the stoning of Stephen. I can see the Apostle Paul standing here to one side."

Lucy congratulates him, "Uh huh, boy, that’s very good. What do you see in the clouds, Charlie Brown?"

Charlie Brown replies, "Well, I was going to say I saw a ducky and a horsey, but I changed my mind."

What do you see when you look into the skies?

The psalmist looked into the heavens and he saw ... God. In Psalm 19:1 he said:

"The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.”

Over the years, Harold and I have defined goals as “a vision of how it is . . . before it is.”

Matthew Maury may not be a common place name for you but he found his destiny in the Bible.

While he was bedridden with a broken leg, he had his daughter read the Bible to him and he was caught by what was read in Psalm 8:8:

"The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas."

He became intrigued with the one part: “the paths of the sea.”

Because he was in the United States Navy and a seaman by trade, he began to explore and is credited with discovering the ways ocean currents work… all inspired by his unfailing belief that if God said it … it would prove true.

This was a huge benefit for sailing ships of the time for they were then able to ‘catch the path of the sea’ and thus save time traveling and money in carrying their cargo to its final destination.

It later worked for ships using fuel... for Matthew Fontaine Maury was born in 1806.

Our vision begins with a passion…

What intrigues you so much that you MUST see something done about it? That is where destiny is found, shaped & clarified.

But each of us must start with a clearly defined vision.

Habakkuk 2:2in the Amplified Bible says:

“And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by.”

5. Bulldog tenacity.

My father-in-law once owned a dog named “Boss.” He thought he was a bull dog, pit bull and Doberman all morphed into one animal. Truth be told, he was a cross because a Chihuahua and a Rat Terrier. To say Boss had visions of grandeur would be an understatement but one thing he had in abundance was tenacity.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, got on the property under the watchful eyes of Boss… and size of a predator meant nothing to him.

Once he made up his mind…nothing else mattered to Boss… he was after it.

If Boss had the cord from a pull toy in his mouth. . .you could not make him turn it loose short of injuring him. As he tenaciously griped the cord you could swing him around and around. . .but he would never let go.

Boss had a bull-dog tenacity. . .never willing to give up or let go what he deemed important to him.

What does the Word have to say about tenacity?

Hebrews 10:36 in the New International Version says:

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.”

6. Be adaptable.

If we’re pursuing a life of total commitment. . .we must be adaptable which is defined at dictionary.com as:

“able to adjust oneself readily to different conditions.”

As born-again believers we must be adaptable so we can be fashioned -- or refashioned because that is exactly what the Lord is doing each and every day we live.

I can’t name a soul who wants to go through hard times … but we’d might as well realize… we are all going to have hard times because that is how God changes us from who we are … to what He knows we can be.

When you read about the Children of Israel complaining their way through the desert, you think, “Well I would never complain like that. I’d realize that if God just did great miracles, He’ll do them again.”

Yet when God brings us out of a tight spot just to go back into another … is our first reaction, “What? Where are you God? My mother-in-law calls this Arm-Chair Christianity.

When I first became a Christian I found out that when I learned something new in the Word of God … I was soon tested on it.

We can all talk about how we’ll act when thrown into the lion’s den like Daniel… that is until we get thrown into one ourselves.

Isaiah 64:8 says:

“But now, O Lord, Thou art our Father; we are the clay, and Thou our Potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand.”

God wants to adapt us. . .make us pliable like clay in a potter’s hand so He can transform us from where we are to where He was us to be and that’s total commitment.

7. Temporary setbacks are just that. . .temporary.

Jeremiah 18:4 says:

“And the vessel that he [the potter] made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.”

People who are totally commitment to a vision. . .a dream. . .a goal will inevitably face setbacks. . .but I assure you they are just temporary.

When we learn not to focus on our setbacks...but spend time planning our comeback then we are totally committed.

·Moses came back from being a murderer, fugitive, obscure shepherd and excuse maker.

·David came back from lust, adultery, murder and pride.

·Joseph came back from being betrayed, falsely accused and imprisoned.

·Job lost everything he had. . .his children, his home and his wealth. His wife told him to die and his friends abandoned him…but he still came out on top.

·Paul persecuted, imprisoned and killed Christians….but he wrote most of the New Testament and is the most quoted author from it.

The Bible list goes on. . .but no matter how much we mess up. . . God will pick us up. . .turn us around and head us in the right direction as we totally commit to Him.

Micah 7:8 in the Amplified Bible says:

“Rejoice not against me, O my enemy! When I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light to me.”

How about ending with Hebrews 12:2-3 which says:

“We’d better get on with it. . .keep your eyes on Jesus. . .Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed.”

Life may not be easy … but with the Lord we find it a whole lot better … when we are committed to Him.

Have you ever asked yourself:

What’s my real commitment to the Word of God?

Does my commitment tend to change depending upon good times and bad times?

How firm is my commitment to the Word and God’s promises?

We can all praise God that He is definitely committed to us for the long haul.

1 Chronicles 16:15 in the New Living Translation says:

“Remember his covenant forever— the commitment he made to a thousand generations.”

When we commit to Him. . .He commits to us and supernatural manifestation takes place.

John 6:29 in the Message Bible says:

“Jesus said, “Throw your lot in with the One that God has sent. That kind of a commitment gets you in on God’s works.”

The word commitment is not in either the King James or the Amplified Bibles. However, commitment is in several other translations including Philippians 3:15-16 in the Message Bible:

Philippians 3:15-16 in the Message Bible says:

“So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment,God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it.”

Have you even heard the story of the hen and the pig?

As the story goes, a pig and a hen were walking together when they come upon a whole group of hungry people. As they gazed upon the terrible situation and wondered what to do to help, the hen turns to the pig and says, “Let’s feed them all breakfast. After all… we can give them bacon and eggs.”

The pig turned to the hen and replied, “That’s involvement on your part, but to me, it’s a total commitment.”

That is what Jesus meant in His statement. God wants all of you, or nothing, that’s total commitment.

I looked up the word commitment in the Random House Dictionary and it is defined as:

“the act of committing, pledging, or engaging oneself; a pledge or promise; obligation.”

It’s hard enough for the Lord to find people who will live for Him…say nothing of dying for Him.

Let me also make one more distinction on what it means to live for Christ because too many Christians expend a lot of energy trying to do things in the Name of the Lord.

But what does the Lord require of us? The Bible actually says… we are not to live for the Lord…but let the Lord live through us. Galatians 2:20 says:

“IamcrucifiedwithChrist: neverthelessIlive; yet notI, butChristliveth in me: and the life whichInow live in the fleshIlive by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Here are His seven characteristics of an unmistakable commitment.

1. Determine to Walk in the Holy Spirit.

Your success in life. . .will be determined by who you pay attention to.

That is such a simple thought … but it has very wide ramifications if you stop to think about it.

If you don’t have accurate information you can get off course … that is true in everything you do from the simplest to the most complex.

If you think you are dumb… you will act as though you are…

The following quote says a lot:

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

We have to pay attention to whom we pay attention to!

There is only One who gives us absolutely accurate information and direction every time.

Galatians 5:16 in the New Kings James Translation says:

“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

If we commit ourselves to stay a tuned to the Holy Spirit… the fact is … out doubts will become less and our faith will become stronger.

We will be so focused on Him … that the flesh will not even tempt us.

We won’t eliminate hard times but we will know Who to go to in order to get through the hard times.

2. Be decisive.

Romans 12:1 in the Amplified Bible says:

“I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.

In Revelation, the Word says that if we remain lukewarm, He’s going to throw you out of his mouth (Revelation 3:16).

So here’s the question, in your workplace environment, have you made a decisive dedication to excellence? Are you totally committed to quality in everything your hands find to do? Have you decided to never settle for less than the best?

3. Constantly tell yourself. . . “I can.”

Philippians 4:13 says:

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. . .”

Please note that the verse says that you can do ALL things . . .not a few . . . but ALL THINGS through Christ which strengthens you.

Philippians 4:13 in the Classic Amplified says:

“I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Whoinfuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].”

Remember… it isn’t your strength… it is Christ’s strength. The enemy likes to instill fear in us … “I just can’t do this!” Well… that’s all right … because you can’t! BUT CHRIST can. That is what we have to remember.

More things are left undone because the devil hypnotized someone into thinking ‘they’ were being asked to do it when the Lord wanted to use them for His glory.

We need to learn to fight fear like the plague it is.

Look at the Message Bible translation of Philippians 4:13 which says:

“Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.”

Stop thinking about what you can’t do and begin praising God for what you can do with Him working through you. It isn’t easy and it’s not overnight … but if we can get our minds off of ourselves and on what God wants to do…we will lose the fear and just step into our destiny … in faith.

4. Clearly defined vision.

One man’s vision. . .is another man’s folly. If God didn’t give you the vision. . .it’s not yours.

People see things differently.

Here’s a little sideline…

Charlie Brown and Lucy and Linus are lying on the ground, looking up into the sky.

Lucy says, "If you use your imagination, you can see lots of things in the cloud formations. What do you think you see, Linus?"

Linus responds, "Well, those clouds up there look like the map of the British Honduras on the Caribbean. And that cloud looks a little like the profile of Thomas Eakins, the famous painter and sculptor. And that group of clouds over there gives me the impression of the stoning of Stephen. I can see the Apostle Paul standing here to one side."

Lucy congratulates him, "Uh huh, boy, that’s very good. What do you see in the clouds, Charlie Brown?"

Charlie Brown replies, "Well, I was going to say I saw a ducky and a horsey, but I changed my mind."

What do you see when you look into the skies?

The psalmist looked into the heavens and he saw ... God. In Psalm 19:1 he said:

"The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.”

Over the years, Harold and I have defined goals as “a vision of how it is . . . before it is.”

Matthew Maury may not be a common place name for you but he found his destiny in the Bible.

While he was bedridden with a broken leg, he had his daughter read the Bible to him and he was caught by what was read in Psalm 8:8:

"The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas."

He became intrigued with the one part: “the paths of the sea.”

Because he was in the United States Navy and a seaman by trade, he began to explore and is credited with discovering the ways ocean currents work… all inspired by his unfailing belief that if God said it … it would prove true.

This was a huge benefit for sailing ships of the time for they were then able to ‘catch the path of the sea’ and thus save time traveling and money in carrying their cargo to its final destination.

It later worked for ships using fuel... for Matthew Fontaine Maury was born in 1806.

Our vision begins with a passion…

What intrigues you so much that you MUST see something done about it? That is where destiny is found, shaped & clarified.

But each of us must start with a clearly defined vision.

Habakkuk 2:2in the Amplified Bible says:

“And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by.”

5. Bulldog tenacity.

My father-in-law once owned a dog named “Boss.” He thought he was a bull dog, pit bull and Doberman all morphed into one animal. Truth be told, he was a cross because a Chihuahua and a Rat Terrier. To say Boss had visions of grandeur would be an understatement but one thing he had in abundance was tenacity.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, got on the property under the watchful eyes of Boss… and size of a predator meant nothing to him.

Once he made up his mind…nothing else mattered to Boss… he was after it.

If Boss had the cord from a pull toy in his mouth. . .you could not make him turn it loose short of injuring him. As he tenaciously griped the cord you could swing him around and around. . .but he would never let go.

Boss had a bull-dog tenacity. . .never willing to give up or let go what he deemed important to him.

What does the Word have to say about tenacity?

Hebrews 10:36 in the New International Version says:

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.”

6. Be adaptable.

If we’re pursuing a life of total commitment. . .we must be adaptable which is defined at dictionary.com as:

“able to adjust oneself readily to different conditions.”

As born-again believers we must be adaptable so we can be fashioned -- or refashioned because that is exactly what the Lord is doing each and every day we live.

I can’t name a soul who wants to go through hard times … but we’d might as well realize… we are all going to have hard times because that is how God changes us from who we are … to what He knows we can be.

When you read about the Children of Israel complaining their way through the desert, you think, “Well I would never complain like that. I’d realize that if God just did great miracles, He’ll do them again.”

Yet when God brings us out of a tight spot just to go back into another … is our first reaction, “What? Where are you God? My mother-in-law calls this Arm-Chair Christianity.

When I first became a Christian I found out that when I learned something new in the Word of God … I was soon tested on it.

We can all talk about how we’ll act when thrown into the lion’s den like Daniel… that is until we get thrown into one ourselves.

Isaiah 64:8 says:

“But now, O Lord, Thou art our Father; we are the clay, and Thou our Potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand.”

God wants to adapt us. . .make us pliable like clay in a potter’s hand so He can transform us from where we are to where He was us to be and that’s total commitment.

7. Temporary setbacks are just that. . .temporary.

Jeremiah 18:4 says:

“And the vessel that he [the potter] made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.”

People who are totally commitment to a vision. . .a dream. . .a goal will inevitably face setbacks. . .but I assure you they are just temporary.

When we learn not to focus on our setbacks...but spend time planning our comeback then we are totally committed.

·Moses came back from being a murderer, fugitive, obscure shepherd and excuse maker.

·David came back from lust, adultery, murder and pride.

·Joseph came back from being betrayed, falsely accused and imprisoned.

·Job lost everything he had. . .his children, his home and his wealth. His wife told him to die and his friends abandoned him…but he still came out on top.

·Paul persecuted, imprisoned and killed Christians….but he wrote most of the New Testament and is the most quoted author from it.

The Bible list goes on. . .but no matter how much we mess up. . . God will pick us up. . .turn us around and head us in the right direction as we totally commit to Him.

Micah 7:8 in the Amplified Bible says:

“Rejoice not against me, O my enemy! When I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light to me.”

How about ending with Hebrews 12:2-3 which says:

“We’d better get on with it. . .keep your eyes on Jesus. . .Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed.”

Life may not be easy … but with the Lord we find it a whole lot better … when we are committed to Him.